Found, Hiding In Plain Sight
by chocolate-musubi
Summary: Germany decides to clean out his cellar, and finds something that brings back memories he never knew he forgot. What is it? What will these unearthed memories mean to him? Based on the Holy Roman Empire Germany theory. Austria knows all... O o
1. Germany

My hand reached for the doorknob.

_I think you should clean it out. _He had said. _I bet you don't even need half of it. I think It'd be good. Cleaning relieves stress. Or so I've heard. _

Stress? What stress?

_Paaassstttaaa! _

_Ludwig! Ludwig! A hug. Give me a hug! _

_Ah… I'm so hungry! Ludwig. Share your wurst with me!_

_I will do what Italians do best! Surrender and plead for forgiveness!_

Oh yeah. That stress…

Sigh…

Well, Roderich did have a point. Maybe cleaning would relieve me of my frustration.

And I do enjoy cleanliness.

So I decided that I would clean out my cellar.

I opened the door at the bottom of the stairs. Though the cellar was dark, the light from the main house illuminated the dust that floated in the air. I pulled on the chain hanging from the ceiling. The light flickered on.

I looked around, in awe at how much stuff was in here. Boxes upon boxes were stacked on top of each other. There were items from the span of my life. Old clothing lay in an open box, toys from when I was young were in another. Books and photo albums sat in a stack in the corner. I picked up a single photograph, and dusted it off. The young, smiling faces of Gilbert and mine's permanently imprinted upon it.

I sorted through the items, picking out what to keep, what to throw away, and what could be given away.

I went towards the back of the room, when I kicked something. I looked down to see a wooden pole sticking out from between boxes.

I picked it up.

Attached to the end of the wooden pole was a deck brush head. The bristles well worn from use.

Why would I have an old deck brush?

"_Italy. I'm sorry… For everything. But this is goodbye, so don't worry. Take care of yourself."_

"_You're leaving? No way. No way, Holy Roman Empire! No! Let me give you this! Take it, and always think of me."_

"_Well then in return, at your house, what do you do with people you like?"_

"_Kiss… I guess…"_

"_I… See… You know, Italy, I've loved you since the 900s."_

"_R-really?"_

"_Really. And when the war's over, I promise I'll return to you! For sure!" _

"_Then I'll wait! I'll be waiting. And take care of yourself! Let's be sure to meet again! For sure!"_

"_No matter how many years pass, I'll love you the most of anyone in this world!"_

Italy… He had given it to me… So many years ago… He'd given it to me as a gift, and I forgot.

I forgot how important it was to me! I forgot how important _he_ was to me!

The one I had vowed to always love, gave it to me, and I forgot. I forgot everything.

Veneciano…

I can't believe I thought he was a girl all those years…

I held the deck brush in my arms. Like I did when I first received it. My face was hot, and there was a lump in my throat. I felt the tears streaming down my face.


	2. Italy

I knocked on Ludwig's door. I had the most wonderful plate of Linguini, and I just _had _to tell him about it! My impatience was growing, so I pounded on the door.

Ludwig! LUDWIG!

I was just about the pound on the door again, when it flew open.

Instead of blonde hair and blue eyes, I was greeted by dark hair and dark, bespectacled eyes.

"Oh! Hi Roderich! How are you? Where's Ludwig? I have to tell him about this wonderful pasta I ate!"

"Oh, hello Veneciano. What a… Nice surprise it is to see you. Why don't you come in? Ludwig is in the cellar, getting rid of some of his old things."

"Ah… That's cool! Maybe I'll go help!"

Roderich and I walked to the cellar door. It was open.

"Hey, Ludwig! Vene- Oh. Ludwig?"

I peered in at the doorway.

Ludwig was sitting on the ground, holding something. A stick maybe? Through the dim light, I saw the glint of tears drop from his eyes. He sounded like he was in pain.

I turned to Roderich.

"Roderich. What's going on-"

The bespectacled man had a smile on his face. A smile? When his friend was in tears? But I then realized that it wasn't a smile out of meanness. He looked… Happy. Like he was satisfied. Almost relieved. He definitely knew something I didn't.

All I knew right now was that my friend was upset, and I didn't know why.

I dashed into the cellar, and I kneeled down next to Ludwig. I saw that he was holding an old, worn deck brush.

A deck brush? What would be so heart-breaking about a deck brush? This one… Looked particularly… Familiar. The blonde man beside me looked up, tears still falling. However, he grew silent, as if his pain had subsided.

Our eyes met. I smiled. He looked down, as he wiped away his tears. When he looked back up, he smiled. He smiled as if he'd received a wonderful gift.

He looked so happy to have an old, beat-up deck brush.

"_You're leaving? No way. No way, Holy Roman Empire! No! Let me give you this! Take it, and always think of me."_

For a moment, I saw a face. A face I hadn't seen for so long.

Holy Roman Empire…

But then, Ludwig's familiar face returned. Now, I felt tears rolling down my face.

"Ludwig. Ludwig! Can it be? Can it really be true. Were you the Holy Roman Empire? Are you really him?"

He chuckled softly.

"Veneciano. No matter how many years pass, I'll love you the most of anyone in this world."

My heart skipped a beat. I felt butterflies fluttering happily in my stomach.

"It really is you! I knew you'd come back! I knew we'd meet again! I never lost faith!"

In joy, I wrapped my arms around him. He returned the favor, and held me in his arms.

We had found each other. We found each other, hiding in plain sight.


End file.
